LAS CRUCES — The couple had a successful life in Phoenix, but felt something was off. David Girle and his wife Elina Sihombing had been fairly successful in real estate in Arizona, but the duo decided they needed a change.

Two reports released Tuesday paint a mixed picture of the state of the real estate market, with overall prices plummeting during the first quarter followed by a slight uptick in April and a 3 percent increase in the sales of newly constructed homes.

Fort Lauderdale is a bustling city that is a popular tourist destination for many locals and foreigners alike. Aptly named as the Venice of America, Fort Lauderdale is flocked with tourists every year that practically boosted the city’s economy to immen

The business community is expecting the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by only 5.5 percent in 2008 from last year’s 31-year high of 7.3 percent as rising oil prices affect the economy.

Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Hypo Real Estate Holding AG, the ailing German property lender, said a 35 billion-euro ($49 billion) government-backed bailout plan collapsed as commercial banks withdrew their support.